Friday, 15 May 2009

Toby Young to bring back the spirit of 1945

Toby Young is the son of the late great Michael Young, author of the 1945 Labour Party manifesto, the Rise of the Meritocracy (which I believe may have been rejected, in pamphlet form, by the Fabians, unless that is the pointy-headed equivalent of an urban myth), founder of the Open University, the Consumers Association, squillions of other things as well. Young was among the most creative of Fabian thinkers, though his ideas and energy always operated outside any fold he was in. (Young junior once wrote an excellent Observer profile of his father).

But Toby - better known for his comedy and self-deprecating triumphs such as How to lose friends and influence people on page, stage, screen and beyond- will not have struck many people as the most likely candidate for Martin Bell's white suit at the next election.

More than that: he has even promised the readers of The Spectator and tout le monde that he will do it if 24 others will join him. And you can not break your first pledge in elected politics. We all know that.

Oh, what the hell. If 24 other people can be persuaded to throw their hats into the ring, I'm game. Over to you, Guido.

He's hoping to get Paul Staines (aka Guido Fawkes) to put himself before the voters.

Run, Guido, run. (Staines will run a mile, of course)

Young would like Peter Oborne, Rod Liddle and Peter Hitchens on the ticket too.

Oh, I really do wish they would go for it.

I'll even make the first offer for the book rights if it would help.

But how I fear that we may even yet get to the next General Election without any of them on the hustings.